page_title: Metiria Turei
section_title: 2005–2008
hierarchical_section_title: Metiria Turei / Political career / Member of Parliament / 2005–2008
caption_attribution_description: New Zealand Green MP Metiria Turei at the Knox Church election forum
context_page_description: Metiria Leanne Agnes Stanton Turei is a former New Zealand politician. She was a Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2017 and the female co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2009 to 2017. Turei resigned from the co-leader position on 9 August 2017 amid a political controversy arising from her admission to lying to the Ministry of Social Development to receive higher payments when she was on the Domestic Purposes Benefit and later, to being enrolled to vote in an electorate where she was not eligible when she was 23.
  She was the Green Party spokesperson on Inequality, Justice, and Building and Housing. She resigned as co-leader of the Green Party and a list candidate immediately prior to the 2017 general election and retired from politics.
context_section_description: In 2009, Turei's Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill was drawn from the member's ballot.  The bill received a conscience vote at its first reading, but was defeated 84–34.  Later that year, her Liquor Advertising (Television and Radio) Bill was also drawn, but it too was defeated.
  In 2008 she was ranked 4th on the Green Party's list and stood in the Dunedin North electorate. She lost the election in Dunedin North to Labour's Pete Hodgson, finishing third with 11.09% of the vote. However she was returned to parliament due to her high ranking on the Green Party list.
caption: Turei in 2008
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